Before Time, The (2016)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Danielle Baker, Jules Hartley, Ted Jonas
Directed by Miguel Miller
Aah, found footage, you old rascal… as much as I try to hide, you keep finding me. Yet another gem has managed to drop into my lap for the umpteenth time, but wait… could it be? I mean, is it humanly possible? NO, NO, NO. I simply refuse to believe such nonsense – okay, all joking aside, this film actually wasn’t all that bad.
With the absolute oversaturation and glut of these types of films to inundate the masses over the course of the past number of years, you’d really think that there wouldn’t be too many rocks to kick over for interesting premises; however, director Miguel Miller pumps a little fresh air into an otherwise stale format with The Before Time, a very good reason why the present shouldn’t screw with the past. While it was created in 2014, it’s finally seeing a wide release here in good ol’ 2016, and I think that this should appease (to some extent) horror fans in general.
Now, if you despise this format, as I’ve come to over the years, then ya might want to skip the view, but if you’re game, here are just a few of the details. Two dueling news crews are scrambling to cover a rash of beheadings in the Southwestern desert region, and it’s bandied about that one sure-fire way to jack up the ratings is to have one reporter from each news team (Hartley and Baker) cover the story – hey, if it adds to the body count, I’m all for it. As the film trucks along (at a nice pace, I might add), the possibility of angry Navajo warriors and unclaimed gold come into play, all set against the backdrop of the infighting that exists between the two lead anchors – nice touch, by the way.
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the negatives that are attributed to this little sweetheart of a pic – first, there is a LOT left to be desired with the acting in this. Hartley shined in her role of Ruiz; yet, she had no real support from her co-stars, leaving the rest of the thespian activity at somewhat of a standstill. Then we’ve got the camera work, which at this point in time is completely moot, but it rings true when you’re finding yourself engrossed in a scene and it appears as if someone has a Go-Pro attached to the end of a bullwhip – par for the course, however. There’s also a reliance on more than a few instances where CGI was present, and the realism took a large punch to the gut in that aspect.
In the end, I can say that I’m split right down the middle on this one. It’s a hell of a lot better than the whoopings I’ve been administering to others this year, so take it as it is. Worth a watch.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
